During the Aug. 31 meeting, agency officials said they have been focused on reviewing a remediation investigation to assess the extent of contamination and a final feasibility study to evaluate clean-up strategies. Possible strategies include full or partial excavation of the site to remove radioactive material, or capping the site.

This progress was a welcome sign, but some residents expressed concerns that the EPA may not complete comprehensive grid testing of the whole site. In a sign of ongoing local reaction, protesters from the Earth Defense Coalition chained themselves to trash cans and blocked the site entrance earlier this year. Site owner Republic Services recently sought an injunction against the protesters, as reported by KMOX.

Landfill cleanups are complex, often involve multiple stakeholders — Republic, the Department of Energy, Exelon and a former uranium mining subsidiary in this case — and come with high costs. Because West Lake contains nuclear waste, a material that the U.S. government doesn't have a clear disposal strategy for, these challenges are magnified. Even with renewed EPA attention it could still take months, if not longer, until a remediation strategy is finalized.